Just Do It: Moving to Italy

I recently came across this blog post by Michelle at Bleeding Espresso about her decision to move to Italy, and I also wanted to share the theme here as it played a role in my decision to move to Italy.

The travel bug is an interesting phenomenon. For some people, they travel to somewhere new, enjoy themselves and create some good memories, but they are content to go back home and settle back into their lives. For other people, after their first few travel experiences, something changes within them and they are not the same. They will feel restless the longer they stay at home, and there will always be a desire, even if it is deeply buried, to go out, explore new places, and try new things.

I am definitely in the second category. In high school, I spent some time in Japan and absolutely loved it. During my freshman year of college, I read The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway, and I caught the “expat” bug. Europe was my new intrigue, and I knew that at some point in time, I would have to experience living somewhere in Europe. The idea was so deeply ingrained in my head that it was a virtual certainty.

A few years later, at the age of 23, I got my chance. I was one year out of college, had just left my first job, and had no idea what to do with myself. Somewhere in the back of my mind was the idea of moving to Italy, but it didn’t seem like a serious possibility at first and I spent some time looking at various career options. As time went by and I remained ambivalent about getting a new job, the idea of moving to Italy continued to grow. And at a certain point, I simply decided that that was what I was going to do. My friends and family questioned the idea, but I was certain it was the right thing to do.

So I just did it. I moved to Milan, even though the only time I had been there was traveling through the train station and I didn’t know anyone there. I spent nine months studying Italian at a language school, getting to know the city, and exploring. And I have no regrets.

Following dreams in Milan

Writing this post, I wondered what life would have been like if I had simply moved on to the next job. I would have missed out on a lot. Here are some of the things I got to do simply because I made the decision to take a chance: I went to the Winter Olympics in Torino. My Italian is much better than it would have been otherwise. I got to know people from all over the world at my language school. I bonded with an Egyptian pizza-maker over being a foreigner in Italy and visiting New York. I got to know a real (non-tourist-filled) Italian city. And I realized my dream of experiencing the expat lifestyle in Europe. I wouldn’t have been able to do any of these things if I had decided to stay at home.

So the point is, if you’re one of those people who harbors a secret desire to experience life in a different country, to borrow a famous marketing slogan, just do it. Life isn’t going to wait around and hand you your dreams on a silver platter. Sometimes you have to make things happen. And sometimes it comes down to making a simple decision.

And one more thing: I know a lot of people run into resistance when proposing an idea like this to people they are close with. Some people are cynical and negative. Some people are simply worried about you. I was lucky in that my parents were supportive, but it did take some convincing. If other peoples’ reactions are the only thing holding you back, don’t give up. It takes courage to do something like this, but the rewards are so much greater than the risks. And no one is going to make it happen for you expect you.

So what are you waiting for? Just do it!